Double-crosslinked dECM bioink to print a self-sustaining 3D multi-layered aortic-like construct

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with related mortality increasing from 12.1 million to 18.6 million in the past 30 years.

To address the supply limitation of autologous vascular grafts and overcome the limits of current treatment options, 3D bioprinting techniques have been investigated.

This study aimed at introducing a self-supporting and multi-layered 3D bioprinted construct as a promising alternative for large-blood vessel replacement. To this end, we developed an alginate-gelatin bioink enriched with decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) of porcine aorta combined with a two-step crosslinking process. We investigated the feasibility of achieving structural stability and shape fidelity of the bioprinted construct over time through rheological characterization, printability tests, and degradation tests.

According to the results of rheology and printability tests, dECM-enriched bioink combined with the double-crosslinking process (internal and external crosslink) showed good printability and high shape fidelity, withstanding more than 35 layers without the need for support. Moreover, the bioprinted construct preserved its structural stability over time, retaining a wall thickness comparable to that of the native aorta. Finally, immortalized mouse fibroblasts embedded in the bioink were well adhered to the bioink and alive over time. The double-crosslinked bioink represents an impactful strategy to produce an alternative conduit with the native hierarchical structure of the large blood vessels.